Wearable electronic hearing aid



Feb 2, 1954 G. E. GUSTAFSON ET AL 68,1 7

WEARABLE ELECTRONIC HEARING AID Filed Sept. 26, 1950 SON GILBERT GUSTAF BYRON R. CRISWELL INVENTORS IVE) Patented Feb. 2, 1954 Y v STATES PATENT Q FFI CE that such a procedure entails. the! 'y' fi i- 'i nfik' aerupfiiy Wi e-feet the I I g to eludes electron-discharge tubes 10 of theminiature type supported on one section of a chassis H of insulating material enclosed within case l2. A back cover [3 is hinged to case l2 and is shown in open position to reveal the several elements of the amplifier, in particular, its operating batteries. The instrument includes a pair of similar, cylindrically-shaped A-batteries l6 and H received by a pair of generally similar, cylindrical battery wells or compartments l8 and 19 formed in a section of chassis ll having a thickness greater than that of the section carrying tubes It. One battery it is shown in position in well [8 while the other A-battery i1 is shown removed from its well l9. When batteries l6 and I! are in their positions within wells [8 and 19, their axes are substantially parallel and like terminals are adjacent one another. Each is capable of supplying electrical energy to the filament circuit of the hearingaid amplifier and each has an outside diameter slightly less than the inner diameter of the wells as may be observed in Fig. 2. This size relationship allows displacement of an A-battery in a direction normal to the axis of its well and, as will be pointed out with greater particularity hereinafter, such movement is of importance when the battery is being put into or taken out of the well.

The wells [3 and I9 extend from front to back or transversely of the case l2 and have an effective depth which is less than the length of the A-batteries. This is, when a battery is seated within a well, it projects therefrom a small amount in order to facilitate removal of the battery when necessary.

The chassis H is also provided with a third compartment l5, and a B-battery l4 positioned within this compartment furnishes anode current for tubes ID in a known manner.

An electrically-conductive contact-spring is seated at the bottom of each well It and I9, spring 20 being shown in Fig. 2 and spring 2| being shown in Fig. 1. These springs constitute means for biasing each 9f the batteries toward a common plane represented in Fig. 2 by the dash-dot line 22 displaced from the surface of the chassis ll, that is, the bias of the spring tends to eject each battery from its well. Each' spring forms an electrical contact for one terminal of each battery; as illustrated for battery I6, spring 20 engages a central terminal IGA electrically insulated from the case proper of the battery while the case constitutes the other terminal thereof.

An electrically-conductive retaining or looking member having a body portion 23 is threaded into an aperture of chassis H to be supported essentially between wells 18 and 19. This member also includes a disc-shaped head portion 24 overlying each of the wells for engagement with the cases of the A-batteries. The overlap of head 24 is slightly less than the amount by which a battery may be displaced normal to the axis of its well so that the battery may be moved clear of head 24 and be easily takenfdut of the instrument. The head portion 24 also'serves as a common electrical contact for the battery cases which constitute adjacent, like terminals of the batteries and" releasably retains the batteries within wells l8 and I9 against the bias of springs 23 and 2|.

Thefilament circuit for tubes it, as represented in Fig. 3, includes a switch, having a movable arm 25 and contacts 26 and 21, and also includes "the conductive locking member 23, 24. The switch has a first operating position in which arm 25 engages contact 26 so that A-battery it supplies current to the filaments 28 of tubes I0 and a second operating position in which the arm 25 engages contact 21 to permit the other A-battery I! to supply current to the filaments. An on-oif switch 29 is provided in series with switch arm 25 and tube filaments 28.

for selectively energizing the hearing-aid amplifier.

A switch actuator 25A is mechanically couthrough the other A-battery. Thus, normal operation of the hearing aid is maintained even though there has been a failure of an A-battery and the user has an opportunity to procure a new cell while he operates the instrument from the alternate filament source. It is apparent from the foregoing discussion that exhausted batteries may be replaced with ease by virtue of the manner in which they are retained in wells It and :9.

Instead of using an on-ofi switch 29, the filament-source selector may be provided with a third position in which the filament circuit is interrupted. For example, there may be an off position, designated 30, made available for arm Fig. 4 represents another modification in which switching between the available A-batteries is.

carried out by a movable battery contact. In this case, contact springs 20 and 26 are electrically connected together and a lead 35 constitutes a common connection from the tube filaments to the A-batteries. A retaining member of insulating material is positioned similarly to element 23, 24 of Fig. 1 and includes a shaft or body portion 36 of reduced diameter and a head portion 31 in the form of an incomplete disc.

farthest from arm 40. The spring is arranged to bias either of the surfaces 4| or 42 into engagement with batteries l6 and [1, respectively. A flexible electrical connection 44 extending fromcontactor 38, 39, 4B completes the filament circuit for tubes [0.

I An actuating link 45 is pivoted at one end to the free end of arm 40 and is. slidably and rotatably mounted on a stud 4'! by means of a slot 45. The other end of link 45 is pivoted to an actuating arm 48, in turn pivoted to chassis |l, and the'free extremity of arm48 extends through a side slot in case l2. By operating arm 48, contactor 38, 39, 40 is displaced from engagement with one of the A-battery cases into engagement with the other.

The physical arrangement of the A-batteries shown in the fragmentary view of Fig. 5 differs from that of Figs. 1-3 in that the batteriesare not only parallel but also are in axial alignment with like or case terminals adjacent one another. As more clearly represented in Fig. 6, the springs 20 and M are positioned at opposite extremities of a recess 56 and serve to engage physically and electrically with the contacts 16A and [1A of the batteries, and to bias the batteries toward a common plane between the batteries indicated by a dash-dot line 5|. An electrically-conductive retaining member 52 is positioned within recess 50 in plane 5! to define the individual wells'for the batteries. The member 52 engages only a small edge portion of the batteries and removal and insertion of the batteries is essentially as described in connection with the arrangement of Figs. 1-3. The electrical connections may also be identical and need not be described in detail.

The feature of the invention illustrated in Fig. 7 provides a reminder to the user when he has exhausted one cell and is operating his hearing aid on the remaining one.

and is slidably supported within case l2. An indicator element or finger 56 is mechanically coupled with link 55 in the vicinity of volume control knob 51 of the hearing-aid amplifier. The element 56 is preferablyconstructed of a soft material such as thin leather which, although disposed adjacent knob 51, does not interfere with manipulation of the knob. When actuator 25A is in its full line position, indicator element 56 is substantially within the confines of case 12. After the particular filament battery has become exhausted, switch 25 is operated to bring the.

other A-battery into service. The displacement of arm 25A to its alternative position, shown in dash-dot lines, causes the indicator element to be displaced to a position shown in dash-dot outline, in which a portion thereof extends slightly beyond the outer periphery of knob 5'5. Accordingly, when the user operates the knob he is constantly reminded by the presence of finger 56 that one of the A-batteries has been exhausted. It is apparent thatelement 56 may be arranged to provide only a visual indication if desired.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without depart-' ing from this invention in its broader aspects, and

therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

We claim:

1. A wearable electronic hearing aid comprising: a casing adapted to be worn by a person; an audio-signal translating circuit within said casing including at least one electron-discharge tube of the miniature type; a battery included in said circuit as a source of space current for said tube; a pair of similar batteries positioned in said casing with their axes parallel and with For this purpose a link 55 is pivoted to selector-switch-actuator 25A.

member of electrically conductive material positioned essentially between said pair of batteries for simultaneously mechanically engaging a minor portion of adjacent terminals of said pair of batteries to releasably retain said pair of batteries in position within said casing and for concurrently making electrical connections to said pair of batteries; a filament circuit for said tube including said locking member and a switch having a first operating position in which one-of said pair of batteries supplies current to said filament circuit and having a second operating position in; which the other of said pair of batteries supplies currentto said filament circuit; and a switch actuator for actuating said switch with respect to said operating positions selectively to include aparticular one of said batteries in said filament circuit.

2. A wearable electronic hearing aid comprising: a casing adapted to be worn by a person'and enclosing a pair of generally similar battery wells as well as a third battery compartment; an audiosignal translating circuit within said casing including at least one electron-discharge tube of the miniature typ a battery positioned in said third compartment and included in said circuit as a source of space current for said tube; a pair of similar batteries positioned in said pair of wells with their axesvparallel and with like terminals adjacent one another; an electricallyconductive spring seated in each of said air of wells in electrical contact with the battery re-- ceived thereby and tending to eject the battery from the well; a locking member positioned essentially between and simultaneously mechanically engaging said pair of batteries releasably to retain said batteries within their wells against the action of said springs; a filament circuit for said tube including a common connection for said like terminals and a switch having a first operating position in which one of said pair of tery compartment; an audio-signal translating.

circuit within said casing including at least one electron-discharge tube of the miniature type; a battery positioned in said third compartment and included in said circuit as-a source of space current for said tube; a pair of similar, cylindrical A-batteries positioned in said pair of wells with their axes parallel each of said A-batteries having an outside diameter less than the diameter of its respective well to allow displacement of each battery ina direction normal to the axis of its wellby a certain amount; an electricallyconductive spring seated in each of said pair of wells in electrical contact with the battery received thereby and tending to eject the battery. from the well; a locking member overlying each of said wells by a distance less than said'amount for simultaneously mechanically engaging said pair ofbatteries releasably to retain said batteries within their wells against the action of said springsia filament circuit for said tube includrent to said filament circuit and having a second operating position in whichthe other of said pair of batteries supplies current to said filament circuit; and a switch actuator for selectively actuating said switch with respect to said operating positions;

4.-Awearable electronic'hearing aid comprising: a casing adapted to be worn by a person and enclosing a-pair of generally similar, cylindrical A-battery wells of a given effective depth extending normal to the front face of said casing as well as a third battery compartment; an audio-signal translating circuit within said casing including at least one electron-discharge tube of the miniature'type; a battery positioned in said third compartment and included in said circuit as a source of space current for said tube; a pair of similar, cylindrical A-batteries having a length greater than said effective depth of said wells positioned in said pair of wells with their axes parallel each of said A-batteries having an outside diameter less than the diameter of its respective well to allow displacement of each battery in a direction normal to the axis of its well by a certain amount; an electrically-conductive spring seated in each of said pair of wells in electrical contact with the battery received thereby and tending to eject the battery from the well; a locking member overlying each of said wells by a distance less than said amount for simultaneously mechanically engaging said pair of batteries releasably to retain said batteries within their wells against the action of said springs; a filament circuit for said tube including a switch having a first operating position in which one of said pair of batteries supplies current to said filament circuit and having a second operating position in which the other of said pair of batteries supplies current to said filament circuit;

, and a switch actuator for selectively actuating said switch with respect to said operating positions.

5. A wearable electronic hearing aid comprising: a casing adapted to be worn by a person and enclosing a pair 'of generally similar, cylindrical A-battery wells extending normal-to the front face of said casing as well as a third battery compartment; an audio-signal translating circuit within said casing including at least oneelectron-discharge tube of the miniature type; a

battery positioned in said third compartment and included in said circuit as a source of space current for said tube; a pair of similar, cylindrical A-batteries positioned in said pair of wells with their axes parallel and with like terminals adjacent one another, each of said A-batteries having an outside diameter less than the diameter of itsrespective well allowing displacement of each battery in a direction normal to the axis of its well by a certain amount; an electrically-conduc- V tive spring seated in each of said pair of wells in electrical contact with the battery received thereby and tending to eject the battery from the well; an electrically-conductive locking member overlying each of said wells by a distance electrical connection with said adjacent termi-- nals of said batteries; a filament circuit for said tube including a switch having a first operating position in which one of said pair of batteries supplies current through one of said springs and said locking member to said filament circuit and having a second operating position in which the other of said pair of batteries supplies current through the other of said springs and said looking member to said filament circuit; and a switch actuator for selectively actuating said switch with respect to said operating positions.

6. A wearable electronic hearing aid comprising: a casing adapted to be worn by a person and enclosing a pair of generally similar battery.

wells as well as a third battery compartment; an audio-signal translating circuit within said casing including at least one electron-discharge tube of the miniature type; a battery positioned in said third compartment and included in said circuit as a source of space current for said tube; a pair of similar batteries positioned in s'aid'pair of wells with their axes parallel; an electrically-conductive spring seated in each of said pair of wells in electrical contact with the battery received thereby and tending to eject the battery from the well; a locking member for simultaneously mechanically engaging said pair of batteries releasably to retain said batteries within their wells against the action of said springs; a filament circuit for said tube including a switch having a first operating position in which one of said pair of batteries supplies current to said filament circuit, a second operating position in which theother of said pair --of batteries supplies current to said filament circuit and a third position in which said filament circuit is interrupted; and a switch actuator for selectively actuating said switch with respect to said operating positions.

7. A wearable electronic hearing aid comprising: a casing adapted to be worn by a person and enclosing a pair of generally similar battery wells as well as a third battery compartment; an audio-signal translating circuit within said casing including at least one electron-discharge tube of the miniature type; a battery positioned in said third compartment and included in said circuit as a source of space current for said tube;

a pair of similar batteries positioned in said pair of wells with their axes parallel; an electrically-conductive spring seated in each of said pair of wells in electrical contact with the battery received thereby and tending to eject the battery from the well; a locking member for simultaneously mechanically engaging said pair of batteries releasably to retain said batteries within their wells against the action of said springs; a filament circuit for said tube including a switch having a first operating position in which one of said pair of batteries supplies current to said filament circuit and having a second operating position in which the other of said pair of batteries supplies current to said filament circuit; a switch actuator for selectively actuating said switch with respect to said operating positions; and an indicator element mechanically coupled tosaid switch actuator for indicating which of said batteries is coupled with said tube.

GILBERT E. GUSTAFSON. BYRON R. CRISWELL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Posenv Sept. 20, 1949- 

